Milk Quality
Milk quality assessment at rural collection centres is a persistent bottleneck in dairy supply chains. Current methods - Gerber (fat), Kjeldahl (protein), and adulteration-specific wet chemistry - require hours of laboratory processing and are impractical at village-level collection points. Farmers are paid a flat rate regardless of composition quality, creating no incentive for quality improvement. NIR-based multi-parameter analysis at the point of collection could enable real-time composition-based pricing and adulteration detection simultaneously.
Findings
What We've Established
NIR Precedent in Dairy
NIR spectroscopy is already established as a reference method in commercial dairy processing (AOAC 972.16). The challenge is adapting laboratory-grade NIR instruments to the temperature, humidity, and handling conditions of rural collection environments, and building a locally calibrated model rather than relying on generic instrument factory calibrations.
Adulteration Vectors in Target Market
Key adulteration vectors in the Sri Lankan and South Asian collection context include water addition, starch, and detergent - each producing a distinct spectral signature distinguishable from genuine composition variation. Detection specificity at collection-centre concentrations is under initial review.
Methodology
Technical Approach
Multi-output PLS-R model predicting fat, protein, and lactose simultaneously. Adulteration detection framed as a one-class classification problem (flag any sample diverging from the authentic milk spectral distribution). Reference methods: Gerber fat, ISO 8968 protein, and enzymatic lactose assay. Proposal includes a staged calibration protocol beginning with samples from partner collection centres.
Status
Where We Stand
A formal proposal has been submitted to the target partner covering project scope, calibration dataset requirements, timeline, and pricing. Awaiting partner review and confirmation.
Roadmap
Next Steps
Obtain proposal sign-off and commence field sample collection protocol design
Identify accredited reference laboratory for calibration sample analysis
Design a pilot deployment at two to three collection centres for field validation
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Interested in This Research?
If you have relevant data, domain expertise, or a measurement problem in this area, we're open to research collaboration and data-sharing agreements.